Crisis hits visitor numbers at Frankfurt car show

BERLIN: The crisis in the global automotive industry appears to have affected the Frankfurt motor show which closed Sunday with visitor numbers down some 150,000 on 2007, Germany's VDA auto federation said.

Around 850,000 people attended the 10-day exhibition, down from one million during the previous show two years ago, with the number of exhibitors also down by 30 percent to 750 as several Asian brands stayed away.

However, VDA head Matthias Wissmann stressed that the number of visitors was better than the 750,000 expected and said the show had "completely surpassed all our expectations."

"It makes little sense to compare this year's show with 2007, which took place at a time of economic prosperity. The conditions have totally changed," added Wissmann.

He said the "enthusiasm for cars is, as before, very high" and that the halls were often overflowing with visitors eager to see the 100 world premieres exhibited at the show.

Wissmann also appeared bullish about the future for the industry despite the crisis. "Our survey suggested that one in four visitors intends to buy a car in the next six months," he said.